bryon



(No Model.) 2 SheetS Sheet 1.

W. J. 0. BRYON, Jr.

EXERGISING MACHINE.

No. 499,205. PatentedJune 13,1893.

(No Model Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2. W. J. 0. BR-YON, Jr. v v BXEROISING MACHINE. N0. 9, 5'. Patented June 13, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM J. 0. BRYON, JR, OF NEW- YORK, N. Y.

EXERClSlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 499,205, dated June l3, 1893.

' Application filedJ'anuary 29, 1890, Serial No. 338,480. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WI LIAM J. O. BRYON, J r., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Exercising Apparatus, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to that class of exercising apparatus adapted to be permanently, or otherwise, attached to the wall or other suitable objectin aroom where, by the use of pulleys, weights, connecting ropes, 8210., suitably arranged, various forms of physical exercise, bringing into action the difierent muscles of the body, may be obtained;and my invention consists more particularly in the construction of two pulleys, and in the manner'of arrangement, and combination of the same with the several other parts comprising the apparatus, as will hereinafter be set forth, whereby a single apparatus may be adapted for various kinds of ex ercise, for which, apparatus adapted for the same purposes and of a similar character heretofore used, have required the use of three or more pulleys, and double the amount of weight or other resisting power, or two or more apparatus of special construction have been used to accomplish the same'results obtained by the use of my improved apparatus; and my invention also consists in the arrangement and mode of connection of the several parts forming the apparatus, in a small and compact form, as to especially adapt it for shipping purposes, 850., without necessitating taking it apart for such purpose, thereby rendering it especially applicable for home use,

as well as gymnasium, &c., in that when the same is unpacked, it is only necessary to fasten the same permanently to some stationary object, and have it ready for use, thereby obviating the inconvenience and difliculty usually attending the placing of such apparatus in position by persons unskilled in the art, when such apparatus is shipped in detached parts; and my invention also consists in other arrangement of parts, and details of construction as will hereinafter be set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide an apparatus of few parts, and of cheap and parts, and produced at a correspondingly greater cost, or two or more apparatus of special construction; hence myinvention.

Referring to the drawings:-F1gure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved apparatus in position for use. Fig. 2 represents a front view of the same, showing two separate apparatus. Figs. 3, 4., 5, 6, 7, and 8, represent diiferent views of detail parts all to be referred to hereinafter. Fig. 9 represents a side elevation of my improved apparatus, and Fig.10 represents a section of the same, as adapted for foot-exercise, and Fig. 11 an end View of the supplemental apparatus or part 1. Y I

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, I have show'na side and a front view respectively, of a part of my improved apparatus, as adapted for certain kinds of exercise, Fig. 2 showing two of said parts, arranged side by side,,merely to show how two of the same may be arranged to be operated by the one person; and it consists of a supporting plate A (shown in detail in'Fig. 3), adapted to be secured to the wall of a room or other suitable stationary object, and is provided with two lugs or projections a, a, thereon, through and between which a pin '0 extends, and is secured at its upper end by a nut 0 and at its lower end is provided with an eye 0 in which one end of the rope A is adapted to be adj ustably connected as and for the purpose aswillhcreinafter be set forth. A pulley consisting of I the wheel or sheave c, and supporting frame O is swiveled by means of the latter, on the pin 0 as more clearly shown in Fig. 3, the

object of such swiveled connection being to and is detachably connected at its end, by means of a hook secured thereto, with the eye 0 in said pin 0 The said loose pulley B consists of the sheave b, and guard 12 which extends around the same with an opening b therein for the ready admission of the rope or cord and the hook b located on said guard as the means for detachable connection of said pulley to a desired object, which arrangement and construction of said loose pulley and end of the rope A for detachable connection With engaging parts form one of the essential features of my invent-ion. The said weight carrier D (shown in detail in Figs 5 and 8) consists of a plate provided with a circular shank or stem E which is fastened at its upper end and provided with an eye e therein, as a means by which either the loose pulley B or the end of the rope A, according to the exercise for which the apparatus may be adapted, may be detachably attached, and said carrier is provided at each end with a groove d therein, for the admission of the vertically arranged guide-rods G, and as a means by which said carrier may be guided when elevated or lowered, by means of the rope A; and said grooves d are provided with an inner groove d to form a pocket for the reception of a suitable packing, in the present instance, consisting of a piece of felt d, adapted to be wrapped around the rods G, andthe same is held in position in said pocket d by a plate forming a cap D, adapted to be secured to the ends of said carrier, and which is provided with a groove at corresponding to the groove in the carrier D, and with a recess d for the reception of the ends of the packing d (as clearly shown in Fig. 8), by which method I form noiseless bearings, and when the packing becomes worn, the same may be easily replaced. The character of weights I use in connection with said carrier, is shown in detail in Fig. 7, and consists in the instance shown of a plate E provided with a central opening e and an outer connecting slot 6 to enable the Weight to be slipped on the stem of the carrier at its upper flattened end until the central opening is reached which is of a size corresponding to the stem E, to allow said weight to drop and rest upon the top of the carrier. Said weights are provided with a flange 6 around the opening 6 on their upper surfaces and with a correspond ing groove 6 in the lower side, in a manner to allow the flange on one weight to enter the corresponding groove in the upper weight and this acts in connection with the stem of the weight carrier to hold the weights in position, as will be readily understood. The said guide rods G. G., at their upper ends are screwed in the arms a d of the frame A, and at their lower ends are provided with a foot g, which may be a not or a flange cast thereon, and which are adapted to rest in openings or recesses, in a sole plate F, as more clearly shown in Fig. 5, which plate is adapted to be secured to the floor immediately beneath the upper plate or frame A, and the said feet g are held in position in said openings or recesses in the sole F by a retaining plate F which is provided with openings therein, of a size corresponding to the diameter of the guide-rods, and when the apparatus is put together, said retaining plate F is slipped over the tops of the said guide rods G, the ends of the latter entering the opening in said plate F which plate is then secured, by screws,bolts or otherwise to the said sole plate F, and thus lock the lower ends of said guide rods in a fixed position, the advantage of which method of connection of parts, in the reduced time and ease of putting together, the same, and the extra strength and durability gained, will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

To illustrate the manner in which that part of my apparatus above described may be adapted for different kinds of physical exercise by means of my improved mode of construction of the several parts forming the same, I have shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, the apparatus arranged for shoulder exercise, vso-called, accomplished by detaching the loose pulley B from the weight carrierD,

and attaching it to a hook or eye adapted to be secured in the ceiling or some stationary object located above the pulley O, and running the rope A through the same as shown and detaching the opposite end from the eye 0 in the pin 0 and attaching it to the eye in the stem of the weight carrier, in a manner as shown in Fig. 9 (Sheet 2), by which arrangement I employ the two original pulleys only, where othersheretofore used for the same character of exercise employ an extra pulley, and also by means of said arrangement the weight acts as a dead weight so-called, upon the upper loose pulley B, the swiveled pulley C merely acting as an anti-friction wheel, as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. Another advantage is also gained in that by such arrangement, it requires an increased power to operate, or'raise and lower, the weight, by reason of the use of one pulley only, instead of diminishing the power to be exerted to operate the weight, as would be the case if an extra or third pulley were employed as heretofore, the advantage of which is obvious.

Referring to Fig. 9, I have shown in connection with the apparatus hereinbefore described, a supplemental apparatus or device, adapted to be used in connection with the former for certain kinds of exercise, and which forms a part thereof, and it consists of a frame I provided with two sides supported by connecting rungs d as more clearly shown in Fig. 11. Said sides are provided on their upper edges with grooves forming tracks in which the wheels j, attached to a sliding seat J, are adapted to operate, and on their inner faces are provided with grooves in which rods i, adapted for the support of foot rests t" are 499,205 g v I a dove-tailed, in order to slide and operate freely thereon when desired, and for the purpose to be hereinafter'set forth.

The apparatus as represented in Fig. 9 is adapted for what is. termed rowing exercise as distinctive from other forms of exercise. In this instance, the loose pulley B is attached to an eye f secured,in the instance shown, in the base plate F, although it is obvious that the same may be secured in the floor, and one end of the rope is attached to the weight carrier as shown, and extends therefrom up over the swiveled pulley C, which latter may in some instances be stationary, and down under the loose pulley, and is provided at its free end with asuitablehandle a for the grasp of the operator, and the foot-rests are in this case held stationary by means of a pin adapted to extend through openings 1' in the sides of the frame, into openings located in the foot-rest-supporting rods 2' (see Fig. 10) or it is obvious that said rodsvl might be secured in a stationary position by hook and eye, or other suitable mode of connection, and the seat is left free to slide freely on said frame. By this method of arrangement of parts, exercise similar to that of rowing may be obtained.

Referring to Fig. 10 I have shown the apparatus as adapted for foot-exercise. In the instance shown the position of the frame I is reversed, and the free end of the rope is attached,

to the rear end of one of the sliding rods 11, which are connected at their front ends by the foot-rest t" to enable the same to slide in unison, and said rods are released from their locked positions, and the sliding seat secured in a fixed position bya pin 7?, or other suitable method, in a manner to allow the operator to by providing a wheel or roller at the rear end of the sides of the frame I, as shown at i in Fig. 9, the end of the rope A may be passedaround the same and connected to the end of the sliding rod 41, without turning said frame, as shown in Fig. 10, in case the same is secured to the floor as will appear obvious.

I do not wish to be understood as claiming herein anything shown in my Patent No. 254,103, granted February 28,1882, my present invention consisting in certain improvements upon my previous invention set forth in said patent. I

Having thus set forth my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent'of the United States, is

1. In an exercising apparatus, in combination with guide-rods, a weight-carrier, con sistin g of a plate or block provided with openings for the admission of said guide-rods, and

a connecting groove or slit, packing, formed of felt or other suitable material adapted to be inserted in the guide-rod openings in said plate or block with its ends projecting in the said connecting groove or slit, and be held in position therein by a screw or its equivalent, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

'2. In an exercising apparatus, the combination of the supporting frame, guide-rods supported at their upper ends by said supporting frame, and at their lower ends providedwith an enlarged foot, a sole-plate provided with openings for the reception of said feet, and a retaining plate adapted to be secured on said sole plate to lock said feetof the guide-rods in position, substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In an exercising apparatusthe combina tion with the guide rods, and a weight carrier thereon, having an eye e of a'bracket carrying a permanent pulley c, the stationary eye 0 at the top of the apparatus, the sta- 

